Second-home owners call for council rethink as tax soars by 300%

https://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/second-home-owners-call-for-highland-council-rethink-as-council-tax-soars-by-300

Little sympathy from the tyranny of the majority in the highlands, I know first hand this is what the locals demand and that absenteeism is destorying community fabric in many places. Personally, if you are in a property 5 months a year I have more sympathy to your plight, and pensioners paying council tax is insane in general. But you can't really argue with the majority here, they want you to sell up!

27 points · 11 comments · view on lemmy.world

11 Comments

jobbies@lemmy.zip · 17 pts · 114d (7 replies)

Now do AirBNB's. They're a bigger problem than second homes.

artyom@piefed.social · 6 pts · 114d (4 replies)

Aren't those all second homes?

erusuoyera@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 114d (1 reply)

Usually, yes.

artyom@piefed.social · 4 pts · 114d

Yeah I mean if it's a literal BnB with a live-in owner, I wouldn't necessarily object to that.

jobbies@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 114d (1 reply)

Well yeah, but 'second home' is usually someone who lives in - say - London and flies up twice a year for a wee holiday. Loads more of then since covid.

By 'airbnb' I mean people who buy up several wee flats or small houses in a rural community. Or do that with a flat they used to rent out. Even in bigger towns like Inverness rented accommodation has dried up cos of that.

artyom@piefed.social · 1 pts · 114d

Oh I see. "Second home" is a legal designation.

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 114d (1 reply)

But we need to keep feeding the Boomers

jobbies@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 114d

So they only get 2 hols to Tenerife this year instead of 3. They'll live.

SaneMartigan@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 114d

G'day from an aussie who's grampa was from Edinburgh. Same shit here. Fuck these property hoarders.

Zombie@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 114d

Mr Taylor sounds like a twat.

bustrouffi@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 114d

"But Colin Taylor, from the newly-established Second Home Owners for Fair Treatment (SHOFT)..."

Sorry but shoft is really fucking funny... It's giving poob.